IMAZ Race Report - The Shuffle

The Women's Change Tent was nearly empty when I ran in.  A great volunteer dumped my bag and helped me get dressed.  I gave her my reflective stickers and told her to put a happy face on my back.  Apparently, these stickers are not easy to break away from the peeling.  You're never supposed to try anything new on race day, right? Lesson learned.  At one point, I said, "Ok, I'll just go" but she said she was getting them so I started helping her peel.  I ran out of the tent and saw the running clock at 10:00.  I asked the girl how fast it was and she did not know.  I found some guy and asked if it was 10 minutes fast.  He told me it was 15 minutes fast.  I still have no idea since my watch is supposedly 3 minutes behind (unless the first volunteer just gave me an approximate time).  And, now the clock confusion is going to continue with me for the rest of the evening.


The first person I see is Klayton (and he even got the reflective happy face captured).

I give him a high five and then I see Kyle and Lisa.  There were SOOOO many people in that first half mile.  I wasn't feeling great, but I couldn't help but smile.  This big black woman was cheering me on yelling something about my big bootie.  She made me laugh and I took it as a compliment.


I get to the first aid station (Pirate theme), fill my bottle, grab a wet sponge and wipe all the salt crust off my face.  *sigh*  Then I see the rest of my family and friends out there.  At this point, I am just waiting to get my legs back.  My legs felt much worse after Vineman than they did here, but I just couldn't seem to propel myself forward the way I wanted to.  I was supposed to be doing 4/1s and my body was giving out after 2 minutes.  So I tried to keep 2/1s.  I kept telling my body that this was only 7 hours of my lifetime and it would all be over soon and to keep on going.  It was on this first stretch where I was just being passed by MASSES of people.  Most of them were starting their second loop.  It didn't bother me, but it made it very clear how slow I was actually going.  I knew I was 20 minutes behind where I wanted to be and calculated that I could still finish if I managed 2:20 for each loop (I wanted 2:30 and based on practice run/walks I knew I was capable of 2:10s).  I began to get overwhelmed by my lack of an extra 20 minutes and also by the awful feeling in my stomach.  I could see an aid station on the other side of the lake and I knew I needed to get to that bathroom.


I wish I could keep bathroom humor out of this post, but unfortunately, it played a large role in the evening so I have to include it.  I found it very fitting that as I rounded the corner, there was sign that said, "You're a winner today if you haven't pooped your pants yet." And, all I could think was, "let's hope it stays that way." Someone runs into the port-a-potty just before me and I'm so antsy -- worrying about time for the run and especially worrying about the rumbling in my tummy. It's finally my turn, I feel a little better, and start my run again. (Note: I found this tweet from Professional Jordan Rapp who dropped out during the bike after the race: "Deciding to drop out is significantly harder than deciding to race 90mi sitting in your own shit. Felt off before swim, but gave it a go."  See....it gets even the best of them!)


Unfortunately, at this point, I am worried. As easy as it was to let the swim go that morning, I couldn't let that 20 minutes on the bike go. And, I really needed to just care about what I needed to do now and not on what happened earlier.  I see my teammates and I tear up a little.  Emily assured me I had enough time. She reminded me that she had a foot injury in Canada and she walked her marathon, too, and that I would be ok. I needed that.  

On the backside of the lake, there was a tent with volunteers massaging some gel on people's aches and pains.  I had her get my knees.  Whether it was because my teammate, Jen, told me it invigorated her last year once she got to that tent, or whether it actually did, I started to feel better.  As I walked across Mill Ave bridge, the South Bay Ironteam coach, Ron, walked with me.  He stopped to talk to his team and I kept going.  Then I saw Robin.  She ran with me for a few minutes and she said I was running at a good pace and if I kept that pace, I would be fine.  She reminded me to just focus on what needed to get done and not on what happened.  Shortly after that, I let go of the bike ride.  On the other side of the water, Ron caught up with me (I truly love and appreciate that he is there just to enjoy the day and stops to chit chat).  He showed me where my name was on the ground because I really hadn't been paying attention.

It was a nice boost.  And on the one "hill" that is on this course, which really isn't much of one, I found my girls again.  I'd say this is the quintessential picture of the day.  You can tell I am worried and I am getting a talk from Sedonia (with those awesome cartoon hands she's wearing) about how I just need to focus.  

Shortly after that I saw Molly and she asked how I was doing.  I told her I was having tummy trouble.  She replied, "Been there, done that already today" and she offered me her Pepto, which I gladly accepted.  


Emily, Grace, Sedonia, Dana, and Helen had chalked the hill earlier that day and I found the Honey Badger as well as my name again.

My tummy was still upset and I had to make another bathroom stop at the "70s" themed aid station.  From there, it was the "DUI Task Force" aid station where the Hamburglar chased me down and a sexy cop spanked me with her night stick.  The next 4 miles were good and I ran most of them.  I went back through town and saw Julie and Chrissy as I was starting my second loop.  Julie told me my Facebook was blowing up because everyone was posting on my page.  I felt so humbled thinking that people would be watching me from afar, other than my family and teammates.  The big black woman from earlier actually stood up and came over to shake my hand and said something else about my big bootie.  It was so noisy I couldn't really hear everything, but she made me laugh again.  And then I saw my family congregated in front of my mom's house (which is on the run course).  I forgot to mention they made awesome banners hanging from the building for us.

Natasha, Nick's sister, ran with me for a few minutes and then I was off again.  I was still hesitant with taking in food so I stuck to chicken broth and Pepsi (Ugh...I'm a Coke girl).  There was a sign on this side that said, "Pain heals" and I had to remind myself this was true.  I stopped to get massaged one more time (this time in my lower back) and ran through the Inspiration Station where this came up on the board.

I stop at Special Needs and grab my bag of goodies -- some gels with caffeine in them and some very sugary candy (grape Jolly Joes).  About 2 miles later, a guy ran up behind me and told me I looked really strong.  I told him it was because it was my second lap.  He said it didn't matter and that I looked a lot better than most people out there.  This was a boost.  Another bathroom stop at the Disco station and then on to the DUI Task Force aid station again.  I told them I was going to be back in 2 hours and they said they would be there waiting.  


On the Rural bridge, I hear, "Hi Jessie" and it was Phil.  He was finishing up his third loop.  I ran with him for all of maybe four minutes and couldn't keep up after that.  There is a 10:15 cutoff time for the 3rd loop, except there is no timing mat.  I start to freak out about the mat because the only timing mat I know of is 2.5 miles away on the other side of the lake.  I see Robin and I ask her about the cutoff.  We start to ask volunteers and no one seems to know the answer.  Is it a random spot at Transition?  Or is it the timing mat on the other side of the lake?  Robin is trying to tell me to just focus and not worry about it.  She leaves to go find the answer.  I see Chrissy and I tell her that I am going to give everyone a heart attack.  I think it was around 9:45 so I have 2.25 hours left to complete 8.7 miles.  Very doable.  But my body was starting to shut down.  


I don't see my family this time around, but someone comes hobbling up to me and it's Nick.  I yell at him because he just finished 140.6 miles and he shouldn't be out here anymore.  Robin catches up and tells me that the cutoff was, in fact, behind me and not at the mat on the other side of the lake. *relief*  She asks what I need and I tell her people on the other side of the bridge.  I'm running with some guys and I yell out to anyone that will listen, "I've never run more than 13.1 miles!"  One guy turns around and says, "And you picked TODAY to do that for the first time?!?!"  


I get to the foot path under Mill and there is Chrissy and Kerry with sparklers!!!  I can't believe they busted out fireworks for me! It was awesome, even though I couldn't really show my appreciation at the time.  And when I went to cross the bridge, Natalie, Julie, Mike, Heidi, Bryce, and my mom all run with me across it (they had strict orders from Robin not to let me walk).  My mom tells me that Robin was going to hook up with me down on the other side.  I make the turn and see Sedonia.  It is 10:30.  I tell her that I have to bust out 15 minute miles for 6 miles if I want to finish on time.  She says, "I'm not going to lie.  It's going to hurt.  But you can do this."  


And, this is where everything got foggy...